


“I prayed to the Hero-King for a small part of the strength he used to save the world.”

by lakambini



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Gen, Post-New Mystery of the Emblem, Pre-Fire Emblem Awakening, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 20:32:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12825510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lakambini/pseuds/lakambini
Summary: In a twist of fate, Naga sent the child Lucina 2000 years in the past–back to the time when the legendary Hero-King Marth still walked the earth. With their time together at its end, Marth has one last thing to say to give the girl hope for her bleak future.





	“I prayed to the Hero-King for a small part of the strength he used to save the world.”

**Author's Note:**

> Diclaimer: I have not yet played Shadow Dragon so I apologize in advance if I get anything wrong! ^^;
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy reading!
> 
> For: [TheGnomeChild](https://twitter.com/TheGnomeChild/) on Twitter!

Twilight has just peaked when a beam of blue luminescent light shot the ground from the sky. Almost immediately as the light touched the soil, an explosion of tiny orbs of blue light descended from the heavens like celestial rain.

“I think it’s time,” the man said, “Your mother must already be very worried about you.”

The girl turned to him, awkwardly carrying her father’s sword–a sword too big for a six-year-old to even hold.

“But Lord Marth!” She protested, upset, “I don’t want to leave you yet! What if… w-what if–”

Marth knelt down to match her height.

“You’ll be fine, Lucina,” he reassured her, “This won’t be the last time we meet.”

“It’s not fair,” Lucina sniffed, “Why can’t I just stay? I can bring mother back with me! And everyone else! And we’ll be more happy here, and nobody…”

Her voice faltered.

“...nobody else has to die like father.”

A soft but sad smile crept up Marth’s lips. A Naga from another time had appeared in his dreams one night, and broke the news of the devastating future the girl will have, and the burden she will eventually have to carry when she grows up–the burden of saving the world from its end.

He did not have the heart to let the girl know the whole story–what he was shown was much too gruesome for a child as young as Lucina to find out, despite the inevitability of it. She didn’t deserve to be familiar with death and war at a tender age–a feeling he knew too well–and it broke his heart that there is almost nothing he could do to save her future and her world.

“Lucina, your mother needs you,” he said, “Your world needs you. You told me you want to save it, right?”

“But I can’t do it without you! You’re the hero-king! You saved the world,” Lucina looked down to her feet, “I’m just Lucina. I can’t do it like you did.”

“Lucina…”

And just like that, a strange, but strong emotion rushed upon him like the strong gust of wind that blew around them. It was in that moment that he got a good look of the strange mark in her eye as the blue glow emanating from the beam bounced off her face, making her seem ethereal and god-like.

They looked at the beam. It was as if it’s beckoning for the child to go.

Marth returned his gaze to Lucina, and he gasped as another wave of emotions struck him almost instantly; here was a girl so young with a bleak future lying ahead of her, burdened with a task not even he could ever imagine carrying out at her age. In a few minutes, she would return to her time, and begin her journey to saving the world from ultimate destruction in the hands of a dragon he never heard of.

 _She needs your encouragement_ , he remembered Naga telling him in the dream, _she needs you to believe in her_.

“Lucina,” he said once more, taking a deep breath, “Saving the world isn’t easy. Even I didn’t know if I could do it.”

A pause.

“But everyone believed in me–we believed in ourselves–and so the world was saved. I want to let you know that, no matter what happens, I believe in you, and I believe you can do it too.”

He placed a gentle hand on her head. Lucina gasped softly in awe.

“Princess Lucina, I give you my strength. Now go! Save the world, and make us proud!”

When Marth got a better look of the young princess before him, he thought she would practically explode in joy, and sadness. Regardless, she caught him off-guard when she suddenly dropped the sword and gave him the hug he and Caeda would surely miss receiving.

“T-thank you Lord Marth! I’ll make you proud!” Lucina grinned toothily amidst her tears.

“I’m sure you would,” Marth laughed, ruffling her hair.

When Lucina let go, she scrambled to pick up Falchion, and began slowly moving to the light.

One last time, Lucina, Crown Princess of Ylisse and Hero of the Future, looked back at the man whose stories always filled her with awe and courage and joy.

“Goodbye, Hero-King!”

“Goodbye, Lucina. Take care of yourself,” Marth waved at the girl.

As quick as the light had appeared, it shimmered away, taking its young passenger with it, and leaving him in darkness for the sun had already set long ago.

It was strange, knowing that the world you just saved will be peril again, and without you to help stop it. But he believes in Lucina; he believes in the young girl before him to save the world, and he is confident she can do it.

All he has to do is have faith in her, and let fate run its course. Until then, for as long as he lived, she will be included in his prayers.

“May Naga watch over you, Princess Lucina,” he murmured, “May Naga watch over you.”

* * *

 Had it not been for the burning villages that surrounded the area, the top of Mt. Prism would have been blanketed in total darkness. All of Ylisse has been destroyed, and there is little else for the twelve children of the Shepherds to do to save it.

"Oh no!” Noire cried, quickly gathering her things, “Are they here? It’s like they’re already something attacking the temple!”

“Everyone, to the Outrealm Gate!” Lucina commanded, preparing herself for the horde of risen that is to come any minute, “I’ll hold them off!”

“You idiot! You can’t just sacrifice yourself like that!” Severa shrieked, struggling to break free from Owain and Inigo’s grip on her, “Let me go!”

“Severa there is no time!” Inigo yelled through gritted teeth, “We must go. Lucina will be fine. She’ll catch up!”

With those words, Owain, Severa, and Inigo were the first to go through the Outrealm Gate, followed by Noire and Brady.

As the first horde of risen trickled inside the temple, the remaining children fought off whatever risen they can, buying the others time to flee until, at last, it was just Lucina, Laurent, and Gerome left behind.

“Both of you must go now!” Lucina cried as she impaled a risen with her sword, “We’re running out of time!”

“But Lucina-” Laurent responded, hitting one more risen with a spell from Thoron.

“Retreat! You and Gerome, now!”

Hesitantly, the duo leapt through the Gate, leaving the princess to finish the last of the risen horde.

“That’s the last of them,” Lucina said, panting. But not even three minutes has passed when another horde broke through the temple walls. It was time to flee.

Putting on the mask Gerome lent to her, she muttered a quick prayer:

“'O hero-king of the legends, lend me your strength. I shall change my fate!”

And she escaped.

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaa this took me longer than I wanted to make because of papers for school but I finally finished this piece. ;w; I told the artist this would be a short drabble but me being me and rambly, it ended up longer LOL.
> 
> Anyway, [TheGnomeChild](https://twitter.com/TheGnomeChild/) posted a [gorgeous](https://twitter.com/TheGnomeChild/status/929924935383961601) [set](https://twitter.com/TheGnomeChild/status/929542072398475264) of art on their Twitter account and thus, with their blessing, this fic was born! They also have a [headcanon](https://twitter.com/TheGnomeChild/status/929543238100320262) that Lucina was sent back in time when she was a child and met Marth, so this fic was also kind of based on that! I was listening to the piano version of Porter Robinson ft. Madeon's Shelter to provide the atmosphere. ^^;
> 
> Please support the artist by giving their works likes/retweets! ♡
> 
> Thank you for reading! ♡


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